What Your Eyes Can't See

Chapter One

"Master Arthur!"

The voices rang out through the darkness as footsteps dashed through the wet grassland. His cloak billowed out behind him as he struggled to hold his hood up to cover his face. He was running, but he knew that eventually they would catch up with him.

"I'll distract them, Arthur, hurry up and go!"

"Francis!" The man next to him stopped suddenly, giving him a sly grin as he turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness, his shoulder-length blonde hair glittering slightly as he went.

"Bloody frog." He gasped, tearing off through the nearby trees. "It's his fault if they catch him."

It felt like he had been running for hours nonstop. His legs were like lead under him, but he refused to give up. He was almost there. Almost… there!

He skidded to a halt in the clearing. The moon was in full view, unmasked by the surrounding woods. The small circle of grass was illuminated, fireflies dancing around him like stars. He'd been there before of course, but never to do what he was there for this time.

He took a step forward, feeling the magic tingle in his fingertips as he did so. This really was a powerful place. He lowered his hood, breathing in the crisp night air as the moon lit up his features, his short blonde hair glistening in the cool light and his eyes shining like emeralds.

"Master Arthur!"

The voices were getting closer. He could practically hear them stumbling through the trees after him.

He hurried to take the remaining few steps into the centre of the green, stepping over the stone that marked the middle, shaped like a star beneath the full moon above it.

Raising his hand in front of him he felt the magic in the area rush through his entire being, running through what felt like the very strands of his sandy hair to the soles of his feet. The rain had silenced and the wind had stopped, leaving him blanketed in the quiet night time light as the spell started to unveil itself.

His magic sparked into life, coiling a pale green light out of the stone and around him, sending his cloak flying out behind him as a sudden gust of air shot past him. Closing his eyes he felt the light growing around him, enveloping him completely.

"Master!"

People burst into the clearing. They looked panic stricken, observing their master summoning the very depths of his powers in front of their very eyes.

He turned, opening his eyes to see them start to run towards him once more. He smiled and then just as the first reached out to grasp hold of his cloak, he disappeared, the green light of his magic vanishing from the circle, leaving only the light of the moon to shine down on them.

"Al, I'm going out!"

The blonde stood up, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and poking his slightly wavy hair behind his ear. He grabbed an umbrella as he headed for the front door of the townhouse.

"You are? But Matt it's chucking it down out there." Another, very similar looking boy stuck his head around the doorframe, looking from his brother to the open door to the rain that was plummeting to the earth.

"I'm going over to Gilbert's. We're having a study session. Don't look at me like that, Alfred." Matthew frowned at him, knowing exactly what his twin was thinking.

"Gil doesn't study, Matt. He just pretends to so that you'll go over there." Alfred's mouth made a thin line, remembering what had happened the last time he had gone to meet Matthew from the German teen's house. It wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Why can't you just accept it, Al? We're not little kids anymore. I'm starting college soon; I need to get ready for it."

"Spending time with Gilbert isn't getting ready for college."

"Well have you found a job yet?" It was Matthew's turn to accusing the taller twin this time, glaring into Alfred's too blue eyes.

"Just get going if you're going." Alfred disappeared back into the next room, ignoring the look his brother gave him.

Matthew huffed, peering out of the front door once more before raising his umbrella and heading out into the dark evening. The rain hammered on the material above his head, thumping unpleasantly in his ears.

The road outside the house was starting to look more like a river after the day's rain and it didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon. What a pain…

It was only then that he saw it. A long shape slumped on the ground under the light of the streetlamp.

A long mottled green cloak covered most of the figure and was soaked through from the rain. The man's blonde hair stuck to his face as his body shivered despite the fact that he was clearly unconscious. His face was ghostly pale, even in the electric light's orange glow.

Matthew snapped back to reality, realising that he had let the umbrella fall down in front of him and that he was getting unreasonably wet because of it.

He turned on his heel, sprinting back to the house and bursting through the front door. "Alfred!"

"What is it now?" His other blonde reappeared in the doorway, scowling at him. "I thought you were going out."

"I am. I was." The smaller twin panted, leaning over so that his hands rested on his knees. "There's someone out there."

"What?" Alfred tilted his head to one side, contemplating his brother for a few seconds. "Was someone following you, 'cause if they were then-!"

"No!" Matthew caught his breath back, finally managing to look the identical man in the face again. "There's someone unconscious out there! I need some help moving him."

"You're kidding?" Alfred grumbled, searching the small hallway for his trainers. "What kind of idiot passes out in the rain? Come on then."

Alfred strode out the door in front of the younger twin, ignoring the rain that started pelting him as soon as he took a step outside.

"I meant to call an ambulance!" Matthew shouted over the rain, hurrying to catch up.

"You mad?" Alfred glanced over his shoulder, grinning at him. "That's not something a hero like me would do! I'll save them myself!"

Matt sighed. His brother had always been like this: the hero complexed, dense idiot. It wasn't that he was stupid. No, quite the opposite. He had brains, he just refused to use them. For example, even though Alfred had pretty much been considered a genius at school without having to put much effort into studying, he had opted not to go to college like his more creative twin, and just look for work. This was a decision that had not been endorsed by their parents, who had left to travel without another word to their oldest son, instead centring their attention on the quieter twin and his choice to continue on with his education at the local college, even though his subject choice wasn't entirely academic.

Unlike Alfred, who had always excelled in the more science based subjects and gym, Matthew was better at subjects with a more creative twist, he also took pride in the fact that he was better at languages than his boisterous brother, and was practically fluent in French by the end of their high school career. Which was why, in fact, he had chosen to continue studying it. That and it was easier to insult Alfred without him realising it if he could do it in an entirely different language.

At that current moment in time, he was awkwardly holding the umbrella over Alfred as his twin hauled the unconscious man onto his back, mumbling under his breath about the wait of the figure's cloak ("Who wears these things anyway? How old fashioned can you get?"). The task was made even harder on the trek back to the house. Alfred had always been the taller twin, and the added height of the man on his back made holding the umbrella over all three of them practically impossible.

"Stop whining and get the door open!" Alfred groaned, shifting the man's weight further up his back so he was easier to carry. "You're not the one carrying him!"

Matthew did as he was told without saying anything else, instead just watching as Alfred hefted the soaking man over the threshold and into the living room, depositing him on the sofa before collapsing on the floor next to it.

"I'll go find a towel or something."

Alfred looked around as his brother disappeared out of the room. It was dark despite the fact that it was still summer, the rain not looking as if it was going to let up for some time.

He turned his attention to the man that was now lying across the length of the sofa, still very much out-cold. His clothes were even more out-of-date than he had first thought, looking as if he was wearing some sort of fancy robe and dress trousers under his long, rain-soaked cloak. Despite that, though, the clothes suited him, even if he did look incredibly stuffy in them, like someone straight out of the middle-ages.

His hair was short and stuck to his face from the amount of water that covered him. Alfred imagined that it would probably be an even lighter blonde than his when it was dry. Then he saw the man's eyebrows and had to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop himself from letting out a bark of laughter. They were huge! Seriously, who on earth let their eyebrows look like that? Though, that being said, it wasn't as if they didn't suit the man. Weird…

Actually, on closer inspection, the man, no matter how odd he looked, appeared to be quite young. He didn't look any older than Alfred himself, so why was he passed out in the rain dressed like he had just come from some stodgy cult meeting. He was also fairly short. Well, shorter than him anyway.

Matt re-entered the room, passing a towel to Alfred so that he could help to dry their guest. By the looks of it, he had already attempted to run a towel through his own hair and it was sticking up in odd places, not including that random piece of hair that always seemed to have a life of its own and loop upwards away from the rest of his hair. This was something else the twins seemed to have in common, as Alfred's own cowlick was also stubbornly defying gravity despite his hair being utterly drenched.

"He hasn't shown any signs of waking up?" Matthew leant over the man, placing a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. "Feels like he's got a bit of a fever."

"Aren't you going out?" Alfred didn't bother to look up at Matt, instead using the towel he was handed to dry his own hair.

"I called Gilbert to say I couldn't make it." The younger twin sighed, leaning on the arm of the sofa, "There's no way I'm leaving you to look after this guy, who knows what you'd do?"

"I'm not some axe murderer!" Alfred pouted, poking his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever." Matt stood up again, stretching and shaking his damp hair out of his eyes. "Anyway, I don't think we should leave him there like that. His fever will get worse if he stays in those wet clothes. I think mom kept some of our old clothes that might fit him. What we've got now would be too big by the looks of it."

"Hmm." Alfred pulled the towel back off his head, ruffling his hair back into the right place, clearing not paying attention to what his brother was saying.

"See if you can get him dried off a bit while I'm looking, will you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, and he can sleep in your bed."

"Yeah… wait- what? Matt! No, that's not fair!"

He was lying on something soft. It was warm and comfortable, but also felt unfamiliar at the same time.

Arthur opened his eyes, letting them become accustomed to the clear morning light, only to find himself in a very foreign looking room. The walls were painted a deep shade of blue and were covered in what looked like brightly coloured parchments, all with different designs and patterns littering them, looking entirely mismatched. As well as the usual bedroom furniture, there were some devices that he had never seen before, looking as if they were made out of smooth metallic materials, one of which was displaying a screen full of small text which was illegible from where he was positioned under the bedcovers, which were a similar colour to the walls with a large logo that looked like a red 'S' inside a red and yellow triangle.

Then what had happened the previous night came flooding back into his mind. The woods, that clearing, using his magic to disappear in front of his followers' eyes. The thrill of it all. And now where had he ended up? Somewhere completely different from his own world by the looks of it.

He pulled back the covers, noticing that he was no longer dressed in his own clothes, but instead a button down shirt and a tatty pair of trousers, that looked as if they had seen better days but were still comfortable enough, if not a bit too large for his small frame.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took a closer look around the room. Clothes and personal possessions were scattered all over the floor, leaving very little of the carpet visible underneath it all. Most of the furniture was made out of a plain wood, much less elaborate than what he was used to. There was, however, one small window, letting in enough sunlight to illuminate the entire room.

He crossed to it, making sure not to step on anything in the process, pulling the shutters apart with his fingers. What he saw, however, quickly made him drop the blinds again, recoiling backwards until his shins made contact with something hard. He staggered sideways slightly, holding where his leg had hit a particularly solid writing desk.

What was that out there? The world was grey! The buildings were all identical greyish-red brick, the pathways were what looked like solid grey stone, next to even darker roads. There was no green in sight! No trees, no grass, not even the slightest sign of a single flower! The only colour was in a clouded over blue sky. Such a cold, heartless world exists?

"Oh, you're up?"

Alfred shunted the door open with his foot, making his way inside. He placed a tray on one of the side-tables next to the bed before leaning back on the wall, observing his guest.

"Matt said you'd probably be awake by now so he made me bring you up some breakfast." He jerked his head at the tray. "It's porridge. Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything. He said it'd help your fever go down."

Arthur was becoming painfully aware of his growing headache, and did nothing more but stare at the stranger who had entered the room and offered him food. He was steadily feeling more and more sick as he realised what he had landed himself in. He was in some strange world that he knew nothing of and had woken up in a stranger's house.

He felt his legs wobble as his knees buckled underneath him, but he didn't hit the floor.

"Hey! You okay?" Alfred caught him, supporting him under his arms. "You should lie back down if you're still not feeling well." He guided the smaller blonde back to the bed, practically forcing him back underneath the thick duvet. "Rest, okay? And eat the porridge. Matt's a great cook and he always puts extra syrup on porridge!"

Alfred perched on the edge of the bed, moving the tray so that the man could access it more easily. He still hadn't spoken, which the teen thought was strange considering how he'd just woken up in someone else's house and not his own. He was also wearing Matt's clothes, which must've shocked him at least a little bit.

Arthur took a spoonful of the porridge, startled slightly by the sweet gooey substance that was on top of it, surprised to find that the flavour was actually very good. This evidently showed on his face because the stranger laughed.

"You like it, huh?" Alfred grinned, leaning back on his hands. "Be sure to let Matt know. He'll be over the moon. Oh yeah! I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones! Hero extraordinaire!"

Arthur smiled, and opened his mouth to introduce himself in turn, but no sound came out. He stopped, placing the spoon back down in the bowl, staring down at it in dismay.

He couldn't talk.

What had happened? Had the transfer gone wrong? Was something wrong with his magic? Oh God! What if he'd used it all up?

Alfred had obviously noticed that something was wrong and was looking concernedly over at him. "What's wrong? Can't you talk, or something?"

He frowned slightly, then shook his head, sighing inwardly. This was going to be difficult.

"Hang on a sec." Alfred jumped up from the bed, nearly overturning the tray if Arthur hadn't grabbed it in time, and proceeded to start rummaging through the desk drawers. "Ta-daah!" He held up a notebook covered in blue and white stars as well as a matching pen, handing them to Arthur, who took them, looking bewilderedly at Alfred. "Well, you can write, right?" Arthur nodded. "So I can talk, and you can write down what you want to say!"

His grin widened, obviously extremely proud of his plan. Arthur breathed out a laugh, shaking his head as he smiled and opened the small book, having a slight problem with the pen before Alfred helped him to click it into operation.

"My name is Arthur Kirkland." He wrote down in perfect looped handwriting that Alfred had to squint at to read.

"Arthur?" He read out. "Awesome! Pleased to meet you, Arthur!"

"Likewise." Arthur looked up at the laughing boy, smiling lightly back at him. A thought came to him and he started scribbling down on the paper again. "What happened to my clothes?"

"Hm?" Alfred quickly flicked over the question. "Oh, they were soaked and covered in mud so Mattie was gonna wash them. I changed your clothes for you, is that okay?"

Arthur nodded, "That's perfectly alright. Thank you."

A knock came at the door and Matthew's head appeared around the frame. "Oh, I thought I heard talking. I hope my brother isn't annoying you too much."

"I am not!" Alfred pouted at his twin, reminding Arthur of the children back home.

"In any case." Matt continued, ignoring his brother's protests. "I hope you're feeling better this morning, you were running a high fever when we found you out in the rain last night. You'd best finish your porridge, Mr…"

"He says his name's Arthur." Alfred helped out, grinning between the two other blondes. "He can't speak Mattie, so I gave him my notebook to help out. How great is that idea, huh? It's awesome, right!"

"Is that right?" He ignored Alfred again. "Well then feel free to come downstairs when you're feeling better. I'm sure Alfred will bring down the dishes when you're finished with them."

"You don't have to order me around!"

"Later, then." And Matt swept back out of the room, leaving them alone again.

"Sheesh!" Alfred sat up on his desk, absently fiddling with the touchpad on his laptop. "Well, I'd do as he says and eat, if I were you. Otherwise he'll just come up and moan again."

Arthur absentmindedly watched the other blonde, still picking at the spoon in the bowl before discarding it again and picking up the pad.

"What's that?" He tapped the paper to get Alfred's attention again.

"Hm?" Alfred pushed his glasses up again, "What? This? You haven't seen a laptop before?"

He shook his head.

"Wow, really?" Alfred was gaping at him, rather rudely if he had any say in the matter, but he simply ignored it. "Where do you come from if you haven't seen a laptop before? I mean, I thought you were just drunk or something when Mattie found you last night, but with the clothes and all I'm guessing that I was wrong."

Arthur scowled, scribbling down furiously on the page. "I was NOT drunk!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry, alright? It was only 'cause we found you out in the rain." He paused, tilting his head childishly. "So where are you from?"

"Not from anywhere around here." Arthur paused, frowning slightly down at the tray next to him.

"Well that much is obvious." Alfred laughed, crossing to sit on the end of the bed. "Are you European or something? You looked like you'd jumped straight out of some British medieval fantasy thing."

"I always wear clothes like that. Isn't it normal here?"

"No frikken way!" Alfred pulled at his shirt, "Do I look like I'm wearing a dress?"

"It's not a dress!" Arthur scowled over at him again, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Whatever." The taller blonde grinned, stretching out across the end of the bed. "Dude! Are you gonna eat or what?"

"So has your fever gone down at all?"

"Yes, I'm feeling a lot better, thank you."

Arthur was sitting on top of the bedclothes, finishing up the meal that Matthew had brought up for him. Matthew himself was sitting at Alfred's desk, flicking through the pages of a textbook, glancing over at their guest every now and then to make idle conversation. He still found it slightly odd to talk to someone who had to reply via his brother's old notebook.

"That's good. I've been worried about having you cooped up in here all this time. Al hasn't been bothering you too much, has he?"

"No, he's been alright, if a little boisterous at times."

Matt chuckled, that was Alfred alright. "Sometimes I wonder if we're twins at all. I can never relate to anything that he does."

"He is very excitable, isn't he?"

"You can say that again."

"Where is he, by the way?"

"Hm? Oh, he's downstairs playing video games with Kiku." He sighed, crossing the room to retrieve the now empty plate from the other man.

"Kiku?"

"One of his friends from school. They've both got their heads stuck in those zombie games that he always gets his hands on. He should be trying to get a job!"

The doorbell jangled off from downstairs, something that Arthur had now become used to as the twins friends had passed in and out of the house over the last couple of days.

"Matt! Door!" Alfred's voice came bellowing up the stairs.

"Get it yourself!" Matthew yelled back, though his voice was considerably quieter than his brother's. He grumbled, then left the room, knowing only too well that Alfred would not answer the door.

Arthur frowned, hearing the front door open and close again before a familiar voice cackled from the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. Matthew's friend…

In all honesty, he had had quite enough of being left in Alfred's bedroom by himself. Of course the twins had their own lives to live, but it was so bloody annoying having nothing to do and having no idea what half of the strange devices in the teen's room did.

He pushed himself up off of the bed, ignoring the dizziness that swept over him as he stood up. He paused at the door, unsure about going outside, having only left the room to go to the bathroom which Alfred had directed him to.

There was more noise coming from downstairs upon the arrival of the other man, who Arthur had learnt that Alfred was not overly fond of for being "waaay too friendly" with the younger twin.

"Why can't you mind your fucking business?" The slightly accented voice trailed out into the hallway. Here they go again…

Arthur supported himself on the handrail, carefully stepping down each stair. His head was still feeling ever so slightly cloudy. Maybe getting up wasn't such a good idea after all…

"Why can't you keep your German ass out of my house?"

"Al, stop shouting…" There was no way Matthew could be heard over the other two's bickering.

He peered around the door, immediately spotting Alfred and the other teen (was he albino?), still shouting at each other, with Matthew standing a few paces away, trying to usher them into being quiet. A fourth, dark-haired boy was seated on the floor, evidently used to the situation at hand, and was continuing to fiddle with a small black box in his hands while staring at the screen of the television (that was what Alfred had called it, wasn't it?).

"So what if I'm spending time with Matt? That's his choice, not yours!"

"Gilbert, please…" He was drowned out again.

"He's my brother!"

"He doesn't need you making decisions for him!"

"Guys!"

"Besides! I like spending time with him, and he likes being with the awesome me!"

"The only awesome one here is me!"

"Guys!"

"There's someone standing by the door." The Asian boy spoke up, gesturing to where Arthur was standing and, effectively, ending the argument.

Arthur started, his eyes darting from one person to another as their attention fell on him. He'd left the notebook upstairs. Bollocks…

"Oh? And who's this?" The albino, Gilbert, smirked, looking Arthur up and down, his reddish eyes boring into his small frame. "You guys didn't tell me you were harbouring someone."

"It's not like that and you know it." Alfred huffed, crossing the room. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet."

Alfred, despite his usual abundance of energy, seemed the slightest bit menacing after the heat of the argument, and Arthur found himself unconsciously taking a couple of steps back from him.

"Whoa! Watch out!"

Arthur felt the strong arm catch him as he fell forwards. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears over the horrible buzzing that had swept over him. He was uncomfortably hot, but could tell that he was still shivering.

"Looks like his fever hasn't gone down after all…" Matthew sighed, darting out of the room into the kitchen. "You couldn't give me a hand, could you Kiku?"

The other boy discarded his game controller without a word, following the taller blonde out of the room as Alfred guided Arthur over to the sofa.

He was light. Too light almost. His creamy skin looked as if it had sunken in just the last few seconds as his knees had given way. The clothes Alfred had given him clung loosely to him, making him look even smaller than he already was.

Arthur's brilliantly green eyes still stood out greatly, almost making up for the massive bags that had appeared under them, but they were dull and far away, as if he wasn't really conscious of the few steps he was taking between the door of the room and the sofa in the centre.

Alfred faltered, hesitating before finally steering the other blonde into lying on the small couch. It was too small for him to stretch out on, and his legs were bent uncomfortably so that he could fit across the two cushions, but it was better than nothing.

Gilbert appeared at his side, handing over one of the throws that had been positioned over one of the room's armchairs, and helped Alfred to tuck it over the smaller teen so that he was completely covered, save his head.

It was some time before Matt came back into the room with Kiku, one of which mopped Arthur's head with a wet towel to rid him of any sweat that had risen there, and the other started spooning out a large bowl of hot soup for him, making sure that he ate it.

"He's been like that for ages." Gilbert leant against the wall in the hallway, letting out a long sigh. "Who is that guy anyway?"

"We're still not sure." Matt shuffled his feet, allowing his hair to fall in front of his face.

Gilbert wrapped his arm around the blonde, pulling him closer so that Matt's head was resting on his shoulder.

"I looked him up everywhere I could think of and no one knows an Arthur Kirkland anywhere. It's so weird."

"Unless he's making it all up." Gilbert added, glancing towards the open door again, where they could clearly see Alfred still tending to Arthur. "Al's taken to him, though, ain't he?"

The younger twin huffed lightly, frowning slightly against the other teen's shoulder. "I should be mad. He said he'd look for work. But I dunno. I guess it's good that they get along so well, even if he's completely insane. I just hope the fever goes down soon."

Alfred watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.

Arthur's breathing had only just calmed down after he had collapsed earlier, leaving them able to carry him back up the stairs to Alfred's bedroom.

He still looked incredibly pale, his eyebrows creased down slightly in his sleep even if his breaths were coming in a more regular pattern now.

Alfred wiped the sweat off the smaller man's brow again, stopping to check his temperature for a moment before leaning back on his hand.

They were along in the house now, Kiku having left fairly soon after Arthur had passed out, and Matthew had decided to walk Gilbert home, though it had been some time since then, but there were more important things for Alfred to worry about than some German idiot molesting his younger brother.

A small whimper came from next to him, bringing his attention back to the man on the bed. Arthur's eyes were screwed shut, a pained expression crossing his features before his eyes opened blearily.

"Arthur? Hey, you okay? How're you feeling?" Alfred rushed out, quickly grabbing the glass of water Matt had left on the bedside table and helping the other blonde take a couple of sips of the liquid.

Arthur looked gormless, his head swaying to the side so that he was looking at Alfred but his eyes had no life in them.

He opened his mouth, shaping out words with no sound before falling back against the pillows, exhaustion taking hold once more as he mouthed the words once more before closing his eyes, not knowing whether Alfred had understood.

But the bespectacled blonde had been able to read his lips, making out the silent words:

"There none left. I can't get back…"

Arthur woke up to find himself tucked under the bedcovers. His head wasn't throbbing like it had been before, but it still ached. He couldn't remember getting back upstairs, it was a complete blur. All he could recall was Alfred catching him when his legs had given out.

Something hummed from next to him and he nearly catapulted himself from the bed when he saw Alfred's face next to him, still perfectly asleep.

The motion, however, seemed to wake the teen, who had proceeded to yawn massively.

"Hm?" Alfred opened one eye, flinching slightly at the uncomfortable position of his glasses pressed up against his nose. "You're awake? That's good."

Arthur nodded, though he regretted the motion almost immediately as his head panged again and he had to force himself not to let his hand fly to his forehead.

"You feel like eating?"

He scrambled around him, positive that he'd left the notebook by the bed, before finding it. "Not right now."

"Okay." Alfred stretched, rolling his shoulders back. "Anything that you do want, let me know."

It was only then that a thought struck Arthur. His magic had run out, that much was painfully obvious now. Back home his power had always been fuelled by the forest that had surrounded them, it was so green and natural, the complete opposite of what he had seen of the outside in this world. But he needed magic to heal otherwise he was only going to cause more of a problem for the twins.

He lifted the notepad again, scribbling down in his ever-neat handwriting. "Can I go outside? Is there somewhere green I can go?"

"You wanna go outside?"

He nodded.

"You sure you're feeling up to it?"

Another nod. "Somewhere green."

"You mean like the back yard?"

Arthur tilted his head.

"Well mom plants flowers and stuff out there. She doesn't usually let me out there too much in case I mess it up or something."

"I won't touch anything! I would just like to sit out there for a while."

"Well if you're sure…" Alfred stood up, stretching again, before holding a hand out to Arthur. "C'mon then."

He hesitated slightly, tucking the notebook and pen into the back pocket of his borrowed jeans before taking the other's larger hand.

What he didn't expect, however, was for Alfred to then pull him forwards so that he was supported over his shoulder, his legs dangling down in front of the teen.

Alfred laughed, sensing Arthur's surprise. "There's no way I'm letting you walk after what happened yesterday!" He was thumped on the back. "I won't listen to any complaints!"

Arthur flailed a little helplessly, inwardly cursing Alfred's almost inhuman strength before leaning as awkwardly as possible on the boy's shoulders, hoping that this displayed his annoyance well enough and allowed himself to be carried out of the room and down that stairs. Bloody idiot…

"What're you doing?" Matt skirted to one side as his brother came bounding past.

"He wanted to go and sit outside." Alfred replied only too cheerfully.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Aww, come on! It's not as if it's raining this time!" Alfred's all too fake pout quickly turned into a grin as he darted around his twin and into the kitchen, still supporting a heavily disgruntled looking Arthur.

"You're gonna make him feel worse like that!"

Alfred raised a hand in a mock wave, swinging the back door open as he went, speeding into the yard.

He set Arthur down on the small bench his father had bought a couple of years back, but very rarely used thanks to his mother's tendency to shoo the three male members of the family away from her garden.

The smaller blonde's eyes went wide. Yes, the space in the garden wasn't as huge as the forest's expanse, but it was beautiful all the same. Alfred's mother must have tended to it dearly. The late summer flowers were still blooming despite how terrible the weather had been and there were a few small trees lining the fence at the back of the house next to the small strip of grass.

"It's nothing much." Alfred flopped down next to him, puffing his hair out of his eyes. "But it's good enough, ain't it?"

"It's lovely." Arthur scribbled down, barely taking his eyes away from the scene in front of him. "Absolutely fantastic!"

[A/N: Hey guys!

So here's my new series. I must say, I found this chapter a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I guess it's because I'm just getting this started.

I'm also not used to writing so much for an opening chapter (heh), but this fic is going to be quite a bit shorter than What's in a Name was, so the chapters are going to end up being longer.

Enjoy! Next chapter will be up soon hopefully! I've also got a plan for a darker USUK fic which I'll start writing soon as well :)